Tea & A Good Book Brewing- Installment 31, Introducing July's Book of the Month

The splendors of July are in full force and I am delighted by it all as though it were my first summer ever in one of the loveliest spots on earth (so call me prejudice!)

There are so many things about this time of year that make me happy, from fresh blueberries, green beans and watermelon, to barefoot children and fireflies, that sometimes I get a hoarding instinct.

How can I get the most out of this summer? I ask myself.

How can I make the summer last longer?

And yet, I know even before the questions take shape that the point is mute and that the best way to make the most of anything is to notice and participate in the simple pleasures and opportunities that are right in front of me...

Blueberries on my yogurt.

A bike ride on Rails to Trails.

Extra reading with the children to fulfill their Summer Reading Challenges

Morning walks with my sister.

Muddy shoes in the green bean patch.

A cup of tea at bedtime (Yes! Even in summer!)

Fresh bouquets from the herb garden.

Sitting on the swing to read.

And speaking of  reading? I have a stack of no fewer than ten books out of the library right now! Even though I will limit myself to only one book for this month's selection, and even though I highly doubt I will get through all of the others myself- either because I don't like them or because I run out of time- the stack makes me happy! It means that the little shelf in my bedroom reserved for such things will be nice and full. It means that I won't be out of options for the next few weeks (and I hate being out of options!) And it means that if I wish, I can have books spread all over the house and not have to go looking for one every time I have a moment for a few paragraphs.

Don't ask me why, but this combination of summer glories and a stack of books makes me very happy.

And very grateful.

For I realize that so many good things have to come together in order for me to enjoy this abundance- and how little I have to do with any of it- and the knowledge of that humbles me.

God is great and God is good.

And now- for this month's book selection:

Still Alice, written by Lisa Genova, is one that has crossed my radar various times and even now seems vaguely familiar, like I may have read it once upon a time, but in picking it up again, I am finding it fascinating and thought-provoking.

Here's what Amazon has to say:

In Lisa Genova’s extraordinary New York Times bestselling novel, an accomplished professor diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease learns that her worth is comprised of more than her ability to remember. 

Alice Howland is proud of the life she worked so hard to build. At fifty years old, she’s a cognitive psychology professor at Harvard and a world-renowned expert in linguistics with a successful husband and three grown children. When she becomes increasingly disoriented and forgetful, a tragic diagnosis changes her life—and her relationship with her family and the world—forever.

Most of us have probably been touched by Alzheimer's Disease in one way or another (although hopefully not in such a young person as Alice) and this books brings the subject to the forefront in a way that is interesting and moving.

For the sake of caution, I will say here that I would recommend the book for a mature reader, based on some of the content I've come across.

Thanks in advance to anyone who joins my little book club this month! You should know that it always makes my day to have company!!!